Defined as a Protected Bird by New York State law. This species may not be hunted or taken at any time in New York.

Federal Protection:Migratory Bird Treaty Act

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act implements various treaties and
conventions between the U. S. and Canada, Japan, Mexico and the former
Soviet Union for the protection of migratory birds. Under this Act,
taking, killing, or possessing migratory birds, including nests or eggs,
is unlawful unless specifically permitted by other regulations.

State Rarity Rank:S2

A State Rarity Rank of S2 means: Typically 6 to 20 occurrences, few remaining individuals, acres, or miles of stream, or factors demonstrably make it very vulnerable in New York State.

Global Rarity Rank:G5

A Global Rarity Rank of G5 means: Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.

Did you know?
Formally called the Louisiana Heron, the tricolored heron is only found in North, Central, and South America (Frederick 1997).

Breeding populations of tricolored herons have been on a steady decline in the United States and New York (Sauer et al. 2007; McGowan and Corwin 2008). During the 1980s, an average of 17 pairs nested on Long Island, with the exception of an unusually high number of nesting birds during the 1989 season (McGowan and Corwin 2008). A recent survey conducted in 2007 showed an average of five breeding pairs of herons at five of the 14 known colonies (New York Natural Heritage Program 2009).

The tricolored heron was once the most abundant heron species in the southern United States during the early part of the twentieth century (Bent 1926). They greatly expanded their range during the 1940s -1970s, but then declined because of habitat loss due to development resulting from an increase in the human population (Frederick 1997). The tricolored heron was first sighted in New York during the 1830s and first reported as breeding in the state during the 1950s at Jamaica Bay Refuge. In 1989, over 50 pairs were reported breeding along southern Long Island (McGowan and Corwin 2008). However, the number of breeding pairs per year